My Hero
by maia.maiestas
Summary: In a new London club Hermione finds herself in a bit of trouble. Luckily Fred is there and more than happy to step into the role of hero. Only Fred's heroisme has some consequenses that no one saw coming. WARNING: smut
1. In Need of Saving

**In Need of Saving**

The club was hot and stuffy. It was near impossible to dance without accidentally bumping into someone. Hermione felt as if she was suffocating, but this was what Ginny wanted to do for her birthday, so she didn't say anything about it. She just smiled at her redheaded friend and tried to keep dancing without getting stepped on by the guy next to her.

"Is this great or what?" Ginny yelled, her eyes sparkling with delight and glee. Hermione just nodded and tried to make her smile convincing. Apparently it worked, because Ginny laughed heartily. Of course Hermione couldn't _hear_ the laugh, but she saw it clear as day.

This was Ginny's 22nd birthday that they were celebrating in the new, hip wizarding club 'The Dancing Toad'. Of course Ginny also had her boyfriend, Harry, there. They were inseparable, but since Harry didn't dance, he was sitting at the bar next to Ron, Fred and George. Only Hermione and Ginny were dancing. It was Ginny' favourite past time, after Quidditch of course. And Hermione had to admit that she kind of liked it as well. Not the club – Good Merlin no, not that! Too many people and too little space. But the music, the beats, the rhythm flowing, coursing through her body, filling her with a single need to just _move._

All of a sudden Hermione felt someone bump into her. She turned her head and saw that it was the guy she had tried to avoid. He was grinning broadly, looking down at her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. It didn't take a whole lot of imagination to figure out what was on his mind.

He bent down till his lips were touching her ear and said, "You're a pretty little thing."

Hermione took a step back and away from him, giving him a little half smile as she did.

"Thank you," was her only reply and then she turned back to Ginny, hoping he would go away. But that, apparently, wasn't in his nature. Suddenly she felt his fingers in her hair and his lips to her ear again.

"And sexy as well," he purred, his innuendo not at all veiled. He was stroking her hair suggestively, making Hermione feel very, very uncomfortable.

"Again, thank you," she said, trying to put a note of finality into her voice, but if she succeeded he didn't heed her at all. His hand wandered from her hair down over her back until it settled on her buttocks. She tried to wriggle away from him, but before she had a chance, he had grabbed her forcefully and turned her around. She was now locked tightly in his arms, her face mere inches from his. Again she tried to get away, but his grip was firm and unrelenting.

"Please let me go," she demanded, trying to sound strict and harsh, but knowing that it didn't come across as much more than a feeble plea. He laughed throatily at her.

"Come on babe," he said, "I can tell you want me, the way you've been rubbing up against me all night."

"I have not!" she exclaimed loudly. "Now let go of me!"

"No chance, baby doll, 'cause we're going to have some fun, you and me!"

His lips pursed and she knew just what he was going to do next. She closed her eyes and tried to turn her head away, but he gripped her head and held her completely still. There was nothing she could do.

"I think she told you to let her go," a wonderfully familiar voice sounded from behind. The guy eased up just enough to look at the intruder over her head.

"It's none of your business," he growled.

"I would say that it is, since that's my girlfriend you're pulling a move on," said Fred, sounding as composed as ever.

A flash of insecurity and doubt manifested in the stranger's eyes, but it was gone faster than it had appeared. He was not the insecure type, it seemed.

"I don't believe you," he said simply. "And if it is true, then you must be a terrible lover, because she wants me."

"I'm a phenomenal lover," Fred said with pride lacing every word. "You're just so desperate that you're imagining things."

The guy apparently forgot all about Hermione at that comment. He let go of her and pushed her to the side, right into Ginny's arms.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Hermione said simply, looking at the stranger, who was now standing right in front of Fred, his whole body shuddering in anger. Fred just stood before him, calm and collected as if nothing or no one was going to touch him.

"I went and got Fred as soon as that guy grabbed you," Ginny explained. "I don't know why he said he was your boyfriend, but at least it made him let go of you."

"Yeah," was all Hermione said. She was pondering just that one thing as well. But she wasn't angry that he'd said it at all – it might not be true, but it worked. The guy had now shifted his focus from Hermione to Fred, who, somehow, managed to look really scary. Hermione had never ever thought she was going to think Fred, the sweetest and funniest guy alive, scary. But right now, looking at him balling his hands into fists, his eyes practically shooting lightning, he was actually just that. Scary. For some reason the thought of Fred as her big bad protector made a shiver run through Hermione's body.

"What did you say?" the guy hissed angrily, taking a step closer to Fred so that they were now only inches from each other. Instantly the mood of the room shifted. Everyone stopped moving, the voices disappeared and the people standing closest to Fred and the stranger backed away, leaving a cleared ring around the two of them.

"I called you desperate," Fred answered calmly. "And now I'm going to call you deaf, since you had to hear it twice."

"Don't play smart with me!" the guy yelled and pushed Fred hard in the chest. A unison gasp went through the crowd. Hermione cringed, hating to think what was going to happen next. She was prepared for an all out fight, but luckily it didn't come.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just do that," Fred said, still calm, but his eyes angrier than ever before and his teeth clenched harshly together. "I'm going to walk away from you, take my girlfriend home and shag her senseless. Enjoy your right hand, my good man."

With those words he clapped the guy's shoulder, who was too shocked to do anything, went around him to Hermione, put his arm around her waist and started guiding her towards the exit saying, "Let's go love."

Hermione didn't protest. Not even when he stopped in the door looking at the guy at added, "Oh and by the way..." after which he leaned down and kissed her. She was immobile, shocked to say the least. All she could do was close her eyes and enjoy the strange and yet satisfying feeling of Fred's lips on hers. She'd never thought of this happening, but now that she felt his mouth moving against her, she was powerless to resist and even more powerless against the growing need for more that spread through her body.

All too sudden the kiss ended and Fred pulled back saying, "Now we can leave." And with a tip of his head towards the stunned crowd he let Hermione out into the crisp London night.

_**This story is the first chapter in a story requested by Aleicia Wolfe, who wanted a multi-chaptered Fred and Hermione story, and since they are such a cute couple I just couldn't say no. So here's the beginning, hope you'll all stay around until the end.**_


	2. Saying Thank You

**Saying Thank You**

Once they were outside and out of view of the club Fred let go of Hermione. He stood still, the chill august breeze making his shirt cling firmly to his body. Never before had Hermione noticed that he actually had a quite well toned chest. But then again it wasn't really a surprise – the entire family was toned and Fred was athletic. Lost in thoughts about his chest Hermione didn't even notice his face or his clenched fists.

"What a complete prick!" Fred suddenly exclaimed loudly, kicking at a nearby trashcan. A small dent formed where his foot impacted. "Shit!"

Fred took a hold of his now injured foot. Hermione, who had been watching in complete disbelief – it really wasn't like Fred to swear like that – walked towards him and dropped to her knees, taking his foot in her hand.

"That was a really stupid thing to do," she said as she pulled of his shoe and sock to inspect the injury. "But I am grateful for what you did for me."

"You're welcome," Fred mumbled as if he was embarrassed to have her thank him. "You're like my sister, you know. And if that creep had done that to Ginny... Well, or you, you know."

At hearing Fred compare her to Ginny Hermione felt a strange kick in her stomach, as if she was sad or insulted. She couldn't really figure it out. So instead of trying to figure it out, she turned her full attention to his foot and his big toe, which was slowly turning purple.

"Well, you stubbed this one pretty good," she said and let go of his foot. "That's going to hurt for a while. Unless you wouldn't mind coming back to my place. I have a lotion that can at least take the swelling."

Fred sent a grateful smile and said, "I'd like that very much."

"Good," Hermione laughed, "I have to repay my hero somehow."

But Fred didn't join her laugh like she thought he would. Instead he just looked at her with something in his eyes and his features that she simply could not name.

"Are you all right Fred?" she asked worriedly.

"You think I'm a hero?" his voice was low and unbelieving.

"I thought you were pretty heroic back there," she almost whispered. The sudden sadness in Fred's face was almost palpable. It took her breath away and her heart felt as if it was clenched inside of a giant fist.

"I'm not a hero, Hermione," Fred said with finality. "There's nothing heroic about me. I just did what I felt was my duty to you as my sister."

And there it was again, that stupid sister comparison.

"It didn't feel like I was your sister when you were kissing me," she said stubbornly, folding her arms in front of her chest.

The sadness left Fred's face and was replaced by one big question mark.

"Well, I couldn't very well kiss you like I was kissing my sister, could I?"

"You didn't have to kiss me at all."

"Then it wouldn't have looked convincing."

Hermione laughed a bit harshly.

"And why did you need to make it look convincing when we were practically already out of the club?"

Fred opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again without a sound coming forth. Apparently he didn't have an answer for that. Hermione smiled at that small victory. Why it made her so happy to have won this small disagreement she didn't really know, but it did.

"Weren't you going to help me with my foot?" Fred finally asked.

"Of course," Hermione said sweetly and took his arm. "Let's go then." And with that she apparated them both to her apartment.

As soon as they had appeared in the living room Hermione released Fred's arm. She didn't like how touching him made her remember their kiss and made her body tingle all over.

"Make yourself comfortable," she said simply, gesturing towards the dainty, flowered couch. "I'll go look for that lotion."

She left as Fred starting humping his way to the couch. Inside the bathroom she didn't need to look for the lotion. She knew exactly where it was. But she did need a moment alone to work through what had happened that night. She replayed how Fred had defended her, how he had refused to be a hero but mostly she replayed the kiss. No matter how many times she saw it behind her eyelids she couldn't make herself see the brotherly affections Fred claimed to have for her. That kiss was definitely sexual; there was no doubt in her mind. She might not have kissed all that many guys in her life, but she knew when a kiss was real and when it was pretend. And Fred's kiss was real. The way he'd held her, the way his tongue had gently touched her, his fingers caressing the tips of her hair. No, there was no doubt in Hermione's mind that Fred had been into that kiss. And strangely enough so had she. She had never before thought of kissing Fred, and never ever thought of actually enjoying a kiss with him. But she had. And now her stomach flipped every time she thought about going back into that living room and seeing him.

Finally she took a deep breath, found the lotion and went back out. Fred was lying strangely sprawled on her couch. Actually he was more _out_ of the couch than he was really _on_ it. The couch was way too small for Fred's long frame. His legs were dangling off one armrest and his head off the other.

"Here it is," Hermione said, trying to sound cheerful to mask the confusion she felt. "It was hiding pretty good."

"I was wondering what took you so long," Fred said absentmindedly, not even looking at her.

"Well, now you know," she snapped at him, just a tad angrily. She really wasn't expecting to be borderline ignored by him. Instantly she started questioning her conviction about their kiss – perhaps he was just a really good actor. Perhaps he only saw her as a sister. And a nurse, apparently.

Walking to where his feet were dangling she wasn't gentle at all when she grabbed his bruised foot.

"Aw, Hermione, that hurt," he exclaimed, finally opening his eyes to look at her.

"It's your own damn fault for kicking that trashcan," she said harshly as she applied the lotion to his toe.

Fred crossed his arms and said, "You know I only did that because I was angry at that guy!"

"And kicking a trashcan helped you how exactly?" she asked acidly and let go of his foot. "You're free to go now."

Fred was looking at her in complete bewilderment. He didn't understand where her sudden anger came from, but she didn't care. She didn't want to look at him anymore. She didn't want to feel this stupid, lingering confusion. She just wanted him out of her sight and out of her mind. Fred sensed her wish and his confusion turned to pure anger.

"Fine, your ladyship, I'll get out of your hair."

He picked up his sock and shoe and humped out of the front door, closing it loudly behind him.

_**Another chapter already done. This story is really speaking to me right now, so perhaps it won't be long before another chapter comes.**_


	3. Apologising

**Apologising**

Hermione barely had the time to register who it was standing out there in front of her door before Fred, looking gloomy and downtrodden, said, "I know why you were mad at me."

"Oh," was all Hermione could muster as she stepped aside to let Fred in. He walked past her with his head bowed, looking very small.

"Yeah, I get it, I was a prick," he said and sighed. Hermione closed the door and motioned for him to sit on the couch. He did so and Hermione followed him. They each took a corner seat, sitting as far away from each other as possible.

"I was ungrateful when you offered your help last night," he murmured in a very uncharacteristically way. "Of course I did save you from that creep, and perhaps you helping me was your way of thanking me, but I still shouldn't have taken you for granted like that. So I'm sorry about that."

"I forgive you," Hermione said with a little smile, leaned over and squeezed Fred's hand. For the first time since he'd entered her apartment he looked at her, hesitantly returning her smile.

Even though he had apologised and she had forgiven him, Hermione sensed, that that wasn't all that was wrong with Fred this morning. He still seemed very down, and that was really not like him. Thinking back she couldn't remember a single time where she had seemed him sad or blue.

She scooted a little closer to him and said, "Was that all that's troubling you?"

Fred chuckled a little as he answered, "You see right through me, huh?"

"I do when you are so unlike yourself anyway."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to find a way to sit that didn't seem like he was completely bare and vulnerable. But Hermione's piercing gaze couldn't be avoided no matter which way he turned. Finally he just gave it up.

"I wanted to explain to you, why I acted the way I did."

Hermione desperately wanted to say something, but she bit back her response. She could sense that silence would be the best way to go. Obviously this was something that was weighing heavily on him, and he had a hard enough time saying it as it was. She would only make it worse if she opened her big mouth.

"After we left the club you said something that kind of got to me," he explained hesitantly, he's eyes avoiding hers in the most frustrating way.

The pause following that statement almost killed Hermione so she couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "What did I say?"

Fred swallowed nervously before answering, "You said that I didn't kiss you like you were my sister."

Once again words failed Hermione, and all she could utter was a silly little 'oh'. Apparently that little sound was enough to send Fred into his usual gear.

"Yeah, you see, that comment really scared me. I was scared that you thought that there was something more between us. So I tried to be aloof, trying to maintain our usual relationship. It wasn't until I came home that I realised just how stupid I'd been. I took it too far."

"Yeah you did," Hermione answered, trying to sound stern, but a big smile quickly ruined it. Instantly Fred's tension seeped away from his features and his bones.

"So we're good, right?" he asked.

"Totally," Hermione answered sincerely, leaned over and hugged him close to her. Fred hugged her back, and for a second she could almost imagine that they actually _were_ good. But then she started noticing how nice his body felt against hers, how good his skin smelled and how much she wanted his hands to touch other parts of her body than just her back. And then she remembered the kiss and she _knew_ that they weren't good. In fact, they were far from it. Because they were so very far from what she wanted them to be.

Finally Fred pulled away from the hug. Hermione felt the absence of his body in every nerve of her body.

"Do you want to hang out for a bit?" he asked her with his trademark grin that nobody could refuse, Hermione least of all.

"Absolutely," she agreed, faking a smile.

"Then I'm taking you out to lunch!" Fred exclaimed happily, jumped to his feet and pulled Hermione with him. She let out a gasp of surprise, but before she could do anything other than that, Fred turned on his heel and apparated them right into his mother's kitchen.

Hermione blinked confused, "I thought you were taking me out!"

"Yeah," Fred laughed, "Out of our apartment. Welcome to the best restaurant in England."

"Please don't call your mother's kitchen a restaurant," came a jolly, homely voice from behind them. Hermione turned around to see Molly Weasley walk into the kitchen with a big, motherly smile and arms wide spread, ready for a hug. "It makes me feel so unloved."

Fred laughed as he hugged his mother tenderly, "You know I mean it in the best way."

"I do, dear!" Molly beamed brightly and turned to Hermione, enveloping her in another big hug. "Did my son kidnap you?"

"Yes, he did," she answered with a smile directed at Fred.

"I'm glad he did, he's been talking about you all day! And now get out of my kitchen so I can start cooking! Ginny's in her old room upstairs."

"We'll get out of your way, Mum," Fred said and, taking Hermione's hand, started walking up the stairs. The two of them holding hands wasn't anything new, that was just what Fred, and George, did. But this time Hermione was acutely aware of how perfectly her little hand fitted into his bigger one.

As soon as they reached Ginny's old room Fred dropped her hand and burst in through the door without even knocking.

"Harry, get off my sister!" he yelled at a started Ginny, who was sitting alone on the floor, putting nail polish on her toes. She was glaring evilly at him.

"Nice try Fred," she sneered. "But Harry's not here. He had to work over lunch."

"Oh," Fred said, clearly deeply depleted, and fell heavily onto Ginny's bed. Hermione just shook her head and sat down next to Ginny.

"That's a pretty colour," she remarked, nodding her head at Ginny's bright green nail polish, to change the subject.

"Yeah, it's all right," Ginny said with a shrug. "So, my brother really did kidnap you, huh?"

"You knew he was going to do that and you didn't warn me?!"

"Of course not, I wanted to see you too," Ginny smiled sweetly, and Hermione simply couldn't be mad at her.

They stayed in Ginny's room just talking until Molly called them down for lunch. Hermione tried her best to behave like she'd always done around Fred, but trying to behave normal isn't easy. It was as if she'd forgotten everything about herself. She didn't know if she usually held eye contact with him when they were talking. She didn't remember what she usually did with her hands. She couldn't remember if it was normal for her heart to beat this fast when he smiled at her, or for her hands to get all clammy when he innocently touched her. It was slowly driving her mad, so it was a relief when Molly's voice summoned them for lunch. Fred got up from the bed and went out the door. Hermione moved to follow him, but Ginny held her back. Hermione looked at her questioningly.

"What is wrong with you?" Ginny whispered.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, trying to mask her embarrassment.

"You're behaving all strange, did something happen to you?"

Hermione felt the heat enter her cheeks. She knew she was blushing visibly.

"Something did happen! Tell me about it!"

"I don't even know what happened Gin," Hermione sighed heavily.

"Is it about Fred?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me!" Ginny demanded, but Hermione didn't even have a chance to answer before Molly called out to them again.

"Later," she whispered and left the room.

_**Another chapter done, hope you all like this one as well.**_

_**If anyone would like to do a cover for this story, or any other, please PM me, I'd really like to see that.**_

_**And, as always, review and request.**_


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